Chivas USA vs. San Jose Earthquakes | MLS Match Preview

Chivas USA look to put an end to a losing slide when they play host to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. Chivas are coming off back-to-back 1-0 defeats, the last a loss at Real Salt Lake. The Supporters’ Shield-holding Quakes are back on the road following a home-and-home series with Portland, coming off another late comeback for a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium.

The Quakes won the final two meetings between the teams last season, winning 4-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium (Sept. 2) and 2-0 at The Home Depot Center (Sept. 15). They had earlier played to a 1-1 draw in Santa Clara.

Before last season, Chivas USA had won six of the nine meetings, with two draws, since San Jose returned to the league in 2008. The only Quakes victory in that span came in 2010 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Chivas USA went to a second consecutive 1-0 defeat, this time falling to Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. Chivas USA sit in a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 7 matches.

LAST MATCH

Chivas had a glorious opportunity in the 35th minute. From a corner kick, the ball deflected toward net and hit the arm of Ned Grabavoy in the box, and referee Jorge Gonzalez immediately pointed to the spot. But RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando parried away Edgar Mejía's shot.

The game's only goal came in the 53rd minute. Olmes García hit a ball forward into the right side of the box to Álvaro Saborío, who deftly chipped the ball to the middle. Javier Morales timed his run perfectly and headed the ball to the bottom-left corner of the net for his first goal since September 2012.

Chivas head coach Jose Luis Sánchez Sola made two changes to the team that fell 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center. Marvin Iraheta came into the midfield for Daniel Antunez and Julio Morales started up top in place of Tristan Bowen.

It was a second consecutive 1-0 defeat for Chivas USA, after falling to Colorado in their previous match in Carson. Chivas has allowed a single goal in each of their last six matches.

“I feel like if we continue to put in performances in like that, we’ll look at ourselves in August and we’ll be in a good spot. I think it was a good performance,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. “Obviously it hurts to miss a penalty kick, that’s a massive momentum changer for them. And we still created some opportunities; obviously this is a hard place to play in this league. I think we came close to shutting them out, it really came down to one or two mistakes.”

After scoring 10 goals over a four-match span, Chivas USA have now gone back-to-back games without hitting the back of the net.

“We had our opportunities, we just have to put the ball in,” Eric Avila said. “We changed our mind set in the second half we were [finding] pressure a little bit more and it was that one mistake at midfield. Salt Lake, they put it away."

For a second consecutive match, Chivas USA missed a penalty kick. Nick Rimando saved Edgar Mejia’s effort after José Correa rattled one off the crossbar the week before.

“We’ve missed twice, but that’s just how it goes,” forward Giovani Casillas said. “We’ve got to keep practicing them in case we get another shot.” Added Tristan Bowen: “It’s not something we need to necessarily focus energy on, but it’s something we’re doing just in case. It’s good to just do it. Guys get their confidence, even though it’s different when you do it in a practice than in a game. But the coaches get a chance to see who’s really comfortable hitting it.”

Already hit with an injury to Daniel Antunez that could sideline for a long period, Chivas will have another change to make in their midfield for the San Jose game with the late sending-off of Edgar Mejia.

Chivas were also without striker Juan Agudelo for a second consecutive match, as he is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

“He’s a big guy for us, a big target,” Avila said. “He’s a guy that causes havoc. Other teams want to double him and it pulls people away. He’s a big distraction and always calm on the ball. We obviously miss him, but we have forwards that can do that same thing. It’s just about knocking it in.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes saw their winless streak reach four games, despite scoring yet another late goal in coming back for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Sunday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes sit in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with 9 points from 8 matches.

LAST MATCH

The Timbers took the lead in the 58th minute when Diego Valeri pounced on a deflected shot by teammate Ryan Johnson and pounded home a bouncing ball from 12 yards out.

But the Earthquakes once again showed their remarkable late magic. A long restart from goalkeeper Jon Busch was flicked on and bounded around the box before Chris Wondolowski gave a subtle touch to tee things up for rookie Adam Jahn, who went to his left to beat goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts cleanly.

Quakes head coach Frank Yallop made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field. Steven Beitashour and Nana Attakora came into the back four for Dan Gargan and Ty Harden, and Shea Salinas returned to the lineup in place of the suspended Alan Gordon.

The Quakes saw their winless streak extended to four games despite coming back for the late point, drawing their last two home games while losing their last two on the road. The Quakes longest winless run a year ago, when they won the Supporters’ Shield, was three games (May 3-19).

For a second time this season, the Earthquakes struck with late magic, getting a stoppage-time equalizer for a the home draw with Portland. The Quakes hit for an added-time winner against New York on March 10. A year ago, the Quakes won or tied eight games with goals in second-half stoppage time.

"We had enough chances to win the game and I thought we deserved to win. It wasn’t the prettiest game to be honest but we dug deep and got a point. That was important for us,” said Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop. “ … For us not to score a goal in this game would not have been good with the quality of chances that we had. We had at least four good looks before the goal."

Rookie Adam Jahn scored his second late goal to give San Jose the share of the points vs. Portland. Jahn scored the first goal in the comeback win vs. New York, an 83rd-minute equalizer.

“He is making me look good right now. He has done well for a young player. He didn’t get in the past couple of games and tonight he proved again that he is a pretty good player,” said Yallop. Added Steven Lenhart: “He’s a great player, dude. He gets in good spots and is really composed and finishes well. He’s effective.”

Winger Marvín Chávez made his 2013 debut, coming on for the final half-hour in place of Shea Salinas. Chavez had missed three months with a sprained knee ligament

“He’s desperate to play,” Yallop said. “He’s not [fully] match-fit, obviously, but I thought he did very well ... He’s a very confident person in his ability and he made a difference when he came on. The individual stuff he did, him being out there, I think he just lifted the crowd, lifted us a little bit.”

Fullback Steven Beitashour also was able to make his season debut, playing the full match on the right of the back four, after undergoing two sports hernia surgeries in the offseason.

“[Beitashour and Chavez] are not one-dimensional; they can take it inside, they can take it outside, use both feet, put crosses in,” Wondolowski said. “Marvin can shoot; he cut it in and hit a great left-footed shot. It makes it tough for defenses, which makes it easier for us to find space ... I thought Beita had a couple great balls in. We were just missing a little bit, but I think it’ll be very soon when we’re back together."